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Preboot Execution Environment
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<p>In computing, the Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE; often pronounced as /ˈpɪksiː/ <i>pixie</i>), often called PXE boot (<i>pixie boot</i>), is a specification describing a standardized <a href="/facts/Client%E2%80%93server_model/FSnf27C5">client–server</a> environment that <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">boots</a> a software assembly, retrieved from a network, on PXE-enabled clients. On the client side it requires only a PXE-capable <a href="/facts/Network_interface_controller/wyf5FR29">network interface controller</a> (NIC), and uses a small set of industry-standard network protocols such as <a href="/facts/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol/lpASHnhz">Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol</a> (DHCP) and <a href="/facts/Trivial_File_Transfer_Protocol/TslBlcvJ">Trivial File Transfer Protocol</a> (TFTP). </p><p>The concept behind the PXE originated in the early days of protocols like <a href="/facts/BOOTP/GPEtMEgK">BOOTP</a>/DHCP/TFTP, and as of 2015<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Preboot_Execution_Environment&action=edit">[update]</a> it forms part of the <a href="/facts/UEFI/w86VGmy2">Unified Extensible Firmware Interface</a> (UEFI) standard. In modern data centers, PXE is the most frequent choice for operating system booting, installation and deployment. </p>